Page 125 - The Voice of Authority

frequent mispronunciations. The double modeled for
him one of his most difficult words to pronounce cor-
rectly: “Nu—cle—ar proliferation . . . nu—cle—ar pro-
liferation. Nu—cle—ar proliferation.” Then Bush tried
it, “Nu—cle—ar pro-boblieration.” The crowd went
wild.
Self-deprecating humor can open hearts and minds to
make people receptive to ideas in ways words alone can-
not.

Show Humility

Power can be seductive. Praise pushes people’s buttons, el-
evating peer pressure to feel important. And just as sud-
denly as lightning strikes, an act of arrogance can destroy
an otherwise credible com-
municator. Refusing to ac-
knowledge people when Power can be seductive.
they speak to you. Failure to Praise pushes people’s
respond to people’s sugges- buttons, elevating peer
tions. Haughty body lan- pressure to feel important.
guage. Time spent only And just as suddenly as
with those of your “rank lightning strikes, an act of
and ilk” at a social gather- arrogance can destroy an
ing. An amused smirk in re- otherwise credible com-
sponse to an idea expressed municator.
in a meeting. An upward
roll of the eyes meant to dis-
credit someone’s comment in the hallway. A talk jam-
packed with jargon meant to confuse rather than clarify.
Insistence that things must be said one way and one way
only.
Credible communicators show humility in innumerable
ways:

Are You Credible? 113